After a few hours of playing God Of War, one thing is apparent. It is one of the deepest games I’ve ever played. Also fatherhood is the best thing to ever happen to Kratos. While he was a father in the original trilogy, he accidentally killed his child in the first game.
Sending him into the known rage that made him one-dimensional as a character. Kratos’ son Atreus adds so many layers and levels of character development to him in this game. Early on there are moments where Atreus frustrates his father, but where Kratos shines as a father and mentor is during moments where Atreus is hard on himself.
Extending out his arm to console the boy, but at the last moment pulls it back and lowers it as the camera zooms in. Showing that he isn’t hard on his son out of malice, he’s trying to make him strong and disciplined. Though they’re on a journey to spread the ashes of their loved one, there are also moments that are lighthearted. There’s a scene where Kratos has to move a bridge, and afterwards Atreus is peppers him with old man jokes.
The jokes work because they’re few and far between one another and Kratos response to them is stern and Drax-like. The chemistry between the two characters is amazing and all the credit should go to Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic who voice the father and son. Though you don’t control Atreus, you can give him commands to fire arrows at enemies and distract them.
Also with the game’s progression system you can teach him attacks that stun or hurt enemies that are near you. Giving him reason to be there outside of his role in Kratos’ life. In this version of God of War, Kratos wields the Leviathan Axe which has the power to freeze objects and enemies, and can be upgraded. Its special attacks range from healing to Kratos slamming it on the ground and freezing enemies in the area.
But what makes me feel like a badass while using it, is its Mjolnir-like quality when throwing it. By pressing a button, Kratos sticks his hand out like Thor and the axe returns to him. But when it hits his hand a huge vibration is sent through my controller, giving the axe an added dimension of force.
You can also upgrade Kratos and Atreus’ armor as well. The cinematography in the game is amazing! There are no loading screens, and camera movements are smooth. Making every scene flow into one another, it’s like watching Birdman. Except with Norse mythology and a lot more blood.
My only complaints about the game in terms of the camera is outside of arrows that glow differently, it’s hard to get an idea of where enemies are. While you can press an arrow on the directional pad to turn quickly, I wish the camera was more like the one in the Batman: Arkham series. Allowing me to see where mostly everyone is.
In terms of difficulty, God Of War isn’t on a level of Dark Souls. It does give a nice challenge. One that won’t send you into a rage quit or venturing out to replace your controller, or TV, or wall. Each setting has its own type of enemies that present a nice fresh feeling with each battle.
Though I’ve only played a small portion of the game, no two battles have felt repetitive. Each one feels rewarding and not annoying. While I cannot give a rating right now, I will say this. This is a game that’s great for streaming, and its story is so far one of the best in gaming history.
I cannot wait to see what mysteries and moments will be revealed as I delve deeper into the game and its story. This game shows why it’s also important to not rush games. By waiting eight years to release this game, Sony and Santa Monica Studio have created something amazing. Also they used fan anticipation properly.
If we got a new God Of War game every year, the series would have become stale and fatigue among fans would have set in. It was amazing walking into a video game store here in Los Angeles midday and seeing a line of people waiting to pick up their copy. It’s series like God Of War that really show Sony’s dominance when it comes to first-party games. If you have a PlayStation 4, you want this game, if you don’t, this game will make you want to buy one, plus there are no microtransactions or loot boxes!
